The McLaren M30 is a Formula One racing car built and run by McLaren for part of the 1980 Formula One season. It was a one-off car, primarily driven by Alain Prost. The purpose of the M30 was to further capitalize on ground-effect design, taking over from the McLaren M29 which was perceived as obsolete.

The one and only M30 was damaged in an accident in practice for the 1980 United States Grand Prix. For the 1981 season McLaren returned to the M29 model. The McLaren M30 was the last new car completed by McLaren before the team's merger with Ron Dennis's Project 4 Formula 2 team, and he assumed leadership of the team the following year.

The car has since been raced in historic competition, by Alo Lawler in England and then George Nuse in the USA.

(key)

* Only 1 point scored using the M30, remainder scored with M29 models.

Joseph Gilles Henri Villeneuve, better known as Gilles Villeneuve (French pronunciation: [ʒil vilnœv]; January 18, 1950 – May 8, 1982), was a Canadian racing driver. An enthusiast of cars and fast driving from an early age, he started his professional career in snowmobile racing in his native province of Quebec. He moved into single seaters, winning the US and Canadian Formula Atlantic championships in 1976, before being offered a drive in Formula One with the McLaren team at the 1977 British Grand Prix. He was taken on by reigning world champions Ferrari for the end of the season and from 1978 to his death in 1982 drove for the Italian team. He won six Grand Prix races in a short career at the highest level. In 1979, he finished second by four points in the championship to team-mate Jody Scheckter.

Villeneuve died in a 140 mph (225 km/h) crash caused by a collision with the March of Jochen Mass during qualifying for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder. The accident came less than two weeks after an intense argument with his team-mate, Didier Pironi, over Pironi's move to pass Villeneuve at the preceding San Marino Grand Prix. At the time of his death, Villeneuve was extremely popular with fans and has since become an iconic figure in the history of the sport. His son, Jacques Villeneuve, became Formula One world champion in 1997 and, to date, the only Canadian to win the Formula One World Championship.

Alain Marie Pascal Prost, OBE, Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur (born 24 February 1955 in Lorette, Loire) is a French racing driver. A four-time Formula One Drivers' Champion, Prost has won more titles than any driver except for Juan Manuel Fangio (five championships), and Michael Schumacher (seven championships). From 1987 until 2001 Prost held the record for most Grand Prix victories. Schumacher surpassed Prost's total of 51 victories at the 2001 Belgian Grand Prix. In 1999, Prost received the World Sports Awards of the Century in the motor sport category.

Prost discovered karting at the age of 14 during a family holiday. He progressed through motor sport's junior ranks, winning the French and European Formula Three championships, before joining the McLaren Formula One team in 1980 at the age of 25. He finished in the points on his Formula One début and took his first race victory at his home Grand Prix in France a year later, while he was driving for Renault's factory team.